Aditya notches maiden win

Hare powers to overall title

India’s Aditya Patel won his first international race in the single-seater category in the round 16 of the JK Racing Asia Series on the concluding day of  the Sidvin Festival of Speed at the Buddh International Circuit here on Sunday.

However, it was teenager Aston Hare who clinched the championship in the category, producing an exhilarating display of speed and guile.

During the weekend, the 16-year-old diminutive South African won three of the four races to beat Nabil Jeffri, who was 12 points ahead of him going into the day. Hare, who is from Euro International team, was overwhelmed by his victory. “It is yet to sink in. I never came here hoping to win the championship but the last two days have been incredible,” said Hare.

The form of Hare made Patel’s victory even sweeter. The Indian, who was here as the guest driver for Euro International, jostled with Hare, Jeffri and Afiq Ikhwan for the lead. He made the most of the clash between Jeffri and Ikhwan in the eighth lap because of which both the drivers couldn’t continue further.

Hare, who had jumped to a good lead from the start, was cruising ahead but Patel overtook him in the penultimate lap and maintained the gap. Hare finished second and Aidan Right of Meritus came third.

In round 15, Akhil Khushlani finished second.In JK Tyre-VW Polo R Cup 2012 Ameya Walavalkar clinched the championship with his win in the first race. The second race saw two Indians, Prashanth Singh and Munjal Savla, leave their mark and finish first and second.

Results: JK Racing Asian Series - Race 1 (Nine laps): Aston Hare (Euro International, 1:8.935secs) 1; Akhil Khushlani (Euro International, 18:15.763) 2; Nabil Jeffri (Euro International, 18:16.375) 3.

Race 2 (Ten laps): Aditya Patel (Euro International, 20:13.116) 1; Aston Hare (Euro International, 20:18.697) 2; Aldan Wright (Meritus G P, 20:19.569) 3.

LGB Formula 4 (Six laps): Saran Vikram (Mars Racing, 16:19.153) 1; Sarosh Hataria (Dark Don Racing, 16:19.153) 2; Diljith Shaji (Dark Don Racing, 16:20.062) 3.
Indian Touring Cars (Six laps): N Leelakrishnan (Big Foots Racing, 14:15.489) 1; B Balavijay (Moto-Rev India, 14:52.670) 2; Sunny Sidhu  (14:58.210) 3.

Indian Junior Touring Cars (Six laps): Fahad Kutty (Team Game Over, 16:36.084) 1; S Feroze Khan (16:37.254) 2; S Sreeram (16:46.745) 3.

Volkswagen Polo R Cup - Race 1 (Six laps): Ameya Walavalkar (14:48.856 ) 1; Jeffrey John Kruger  (14:49.601) 2; Avdumber Hede (14:50.132), 3.
Race 2 (Five  laps): Prashanth Tharani Singh 1 (12:18.930); Munjal Savla (12:23.090) 2; Kruger (12:23.198), 3.

MRF F2000: Race 1 (Ten laps): Conor Daly (21:54.788) 1; Alice Powell (21:58.276) 2, Hector Hurst (22:02.304), 3.
Race 2 (Fourteen laps): Yuudai Jinkawa (27:11.738),1; Sam Dejonghe (27:16.697) 2; Hector Hurst (27.22.010), 3.